LEGO fans can now play with 8 trillion virtual bricks

Shane McGlaun, 26th June 2012

I've been a huge fan of LEGO since I was a kid. I would always buy kits for something specific, yet ended up building structures like houses and walls to crash model cars through. But as fun as LEGO is, one almost inevitably ends up losing or misplacing certain (and often critical) pieces.

So if you're a big fan of Lego bricks, you obviously know all about storing those little blocks and shelling out a significant amount of money to purchase multiple sets.

Fortunately, Google Chrome and Lego Australia have teamed up for the perfect alternative. Yes, you can now play with 8 trillion virtual Lego blocks thanks to Build.

As the partnership was clinched between Lego Australia and Google, the first place where participants can build and place their virtual constructs is on Australian streets and landmarks. Google says additional locations will be rolled out shortly, including those in the United States, the UK and other countries.

The structures built using the virtual bricks can be saved and shared via e-mail or with a Google+ account. However, before you can save or share your virtual constructions, they have to be submitted for approval to prevent the posting of inappropriate items. Fortunately, you don't have to live in Australia to access Build; it is available to everyone right now.

"Build may look simple, but this collaborative 3D building experience would not have been possible a couple of years ago. It shows how far browser technology has come and how the web is an amazing platform for creativity," a Google rep wrote in a blog post.

"We made the bricks with WebGL, which enables powerful 3D graphics right in the browser and demonstrates the upper limit of current WebGL graphics performance. We then mixed in Google Maps (another Aussie invention) so you can put your creation in a LEGO world alongside everyone else’s."